Dispenser tap



p 4, 1962 F. MARTORELL] 3,052,386

DISPENSER TAP Filed Oct. 1, 1959 Frank Mariam/0' 1N VE N TOR.

United States Patent 3,052,386 DISPENSER TAP Frank Martorelli, J. Falco,310-16 Hills Bldg., Syracuse, N.Y. Filed Oct. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 843,7952 Claims. (Cl. 222517) This invention relates to an attachment forbottles or other containers by which to function as a closure anddispenser.

An object of the invention is to provide a unique closure for beveragecontainers, regardless of the type of beverage, whereby the contents ofthe container may be easily dispensed.

Briefly, the invention is embodied in a closure adapted to fit onto theneck or discharge orifice part of a bottle and form a continuationthereof. A valve member constitutes part of a closure and it is adaptedto be swung between open and closed positions enabling the contents ofthe bottle or other container to be discharged therefrom into anawaiting receptacle.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical container supported ona stand and equipped with a closure in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure used in FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the valveelement in the open position.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a part of the closure.

In the accompanying drawings there is a container diagrammaticallyrepresenting any type of container capable of having closure 12 attachedthereto. The preferable place of attachment is at the discharge orifice14, which is usually a neck of a bottle or can. A stand 16 shows thatthe container 10 may be supported at an in cline so the contents thereofflow by gravity through port 14.

Closure 12 is made of a circular tube or sleeve 18 having an open end 20with finger-grip 22 protruding laterally therefrom at open end 20. Acircumferential groove 24 is formed in the bore 26 of sleeve 18 by whichto snap onto the bead at the outer end of a conventional container neck.Sleeve 18 constitutes the body of the closure and it is preferably madeof an elastomeric or at least, flexible ethylene.

Valve member 28 is shaped in the form of a disk or plug and protrudesoutwardly from one surface of a flat, elongated plate 30. The valvemember and flat plate are each made of plastic, for instancepolyethylene or polystyrene or others. As seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 thefront surface or forward end 32 of the body of the closure is beveled ina plane inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of sleeve 18 sothat when the liquid subplastic substance, for example polystance fromthe container flows through the closure, it is directed by gravitydownwardly and outwardly of said sleeve.

Valve member or element 28 has a short circular rib 34 at its peripherydesigned to snap into a shallow circumferential groove 36 which isformed in the bore 26 and which cooperates with rib 34 to form a seal.The plate 30 has a pair of rivets 38 and 46 on the same face thereof asvalve member 28, and these are passed through a pair of openings 42 and44 in an inclined arm 46 which extends upwardly and rearwardly from saidsleeve 18 at the discharge end thereof. Arm 46 is made of the sameelastomen'c substance as sleeve 18 and is integral therewith. Beingelastomeric, the arm 46 has an inherent amount of resilience andelasticity which tends to return the plate 30 to the closed positioni.e. with valve member 28 occupying the discharge end of bore 26, saidarm being constantly under tension.

In assembly the only steps required are to place the rivets 40 and 38into openings 44 and 42 and to heat seal them in place.

In use, the sleeve is snapped onto the neck of the container as shown inFIGURES 2 and 3 and the container held at an inclined position, forexample by a stand 16. Then, when it is desired to dispense liquid fromthe container, the upper part of arm. 46 and plate 30 which is securedthereto, are deflected to the position shown in FIGURE 3 at which thesealing groove 36 and sealing rib 34 becomes separated and the valvemember 28 becomes separated from the discharge end of bore 26. Theliquid contents of the bottle are then capable of flowing through theclosure in an amount selected by the user, who closes the valve when thedesired quantity of liquid is dispensed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes Willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A closure for a container which has a discharge opening member, saidclosure comprising a body having a bore, means at one end of said borefor attaching the body to the container member with said bore inregistry with the discharge opening of the container member, a valvemember, resilient means supporting said valve member in liquid flowcontrolling relationship with said bore, said resilient means includinga self-sustaining supporting arm of resilient substance integral withsaid body and protruding laterally therefrom in the plane of the otherend of the body, mechanical means securing said valve member to saidarm, said arm being tensioned and yieldingly retaining the valve memberin closed position, and sealing means connected between said valvemember and the discharge end of said bore, said arm havinglongitudinally spaced openings therein, said mechanical means includingspaced rivets on the valve member engaged in the openings.

2. A dispensing closure comprising a resilient tube for mounting on acontainer, said tube including a bevelled forward end, a resilient,inclined arm integral with said tube and extending upwardly andrearwardly therefrom in the plane of said bevelled forward end thereof,said arm having longitudinally spaced openings therein, an elongatedplate mounted longitudinally on and carried by said arm and extendingdownwardly and forwardly therefrom in opposed parallelism with saidbevelled end of said tube and yieldingly engaged therewith by said arm,a valve on the lower portion of the plate engageable in the tube, andrivets formed integrally with the plate at longitudinally spaced pointsand anchored in 10 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Jenks Mar. 15,1938 Hacmac Feb. 10, 1942 Marcus May 12,1959

